Thill-coupling.



No. 65|,3H. Patented June 5, |900.

' R. W. HORN.

THILL GOUPLING.

(Application led Mar. 24, 1900.

{No Model.)

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ROSS lV. HORN, OF BLADENSBURG, OHIO.

THILL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,311, dated J' une 5, 1900.

Application lad March 24. 1900. Serial No. 10,058. (No model@ T all whom, t may .con/cern:

Be it known that I, ROSS IV. HORN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bladensburg,

' in the county of Knox and State of Ohio, have view of the same.

invented a new and useful Thill-Ooupling, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of thill-couplings and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one which will be strong and durable and which will enable the operation of coupling and uncoupling to be rapidly performed, so that a pole or a pair of thills may be easily connected to the running-gear of a vehicle.

Y-A further object of the invention is to provide a device which when changing poles and thills will have no loose or separate pieces which must be placed upon the ground or other support while the change is being made from poles to thills, or vice versa.

Another object of the invention is to obviate the necessity of employing an antirattlerspring to take up the wear.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a thill-coupling constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, the thill-iron being in position. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional Fig. 4: is a longitudinal sectional View, thethill-iron being removed. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the levers, the spring, and the yoke. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the thill-iron.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the gures of the drawings.

1 designates an axle-clip provided with a clip-plate 2 and having forwardly-extending ears 3, and the latter are provided with open bearings 4 for the reception of a couplingpivot 5, which is rigid with a coupling or thill iron 6. The bearings 4 incline upward and rearward slightly, and the pivot 5 projects laterally beyond the ears 3, and its ends are engaged by a pair of levers7, fulcrumed between their ends by bolts 8 or other suitable fastening devices on the arms 3, at the outer faces thereof and at points in rear of the bearings 4. The upper arms of the levers 7 are provided with hooks 9, which engage over the ends of the pivot of the thill or coupling iron 6, as clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the accompanying drawings, whereby the thill or coupling iron is securely fastened to the axle-clip. The levers 7 are adapted to be swung to the position illustrated in Fig. 5' of the accompanying drawings to enable the thill or coupling iron to be lifted out of the bearings ofthe axle-cli p.

The lower arms of the levers 7 extend be-V low the axle 10 and are provided at their inner faces with inwardly-extending rounded studs 1l, receiving coils 12 of a substantially U-shaped spring 13, which carries a yoke 14, the yoke 14 being adapted to engage an eX- tension 15 of the clip-plate 2, whereby the spring is placed under tension and the levers are yieldingly held in engagement with the pivot. The coils are located adjacent to the terminals 16 of the sides of the spring, and the said terminals 16 are bent outward and are secured within perforations 17 of the arms of the levers 7, whereby the spring is connected with the same. The spring is swung rearward beneath the axle,and the yoke,which is provided at its ends with eyes 18 for the reception of the sides of the spring, is adapted to engage notches 19, formed in the upper face of the extended portion of the clip-plate. The yoke when in engagement with the extended rear portion of the clip-plate is located at a point intermediate of the ends of the sides of the spring, and the rear portion 2O is bent downward and forms a convenient handle to enable the yoke to be lifted out of engagement with the clip-plate. The spring operates to throw the upper arms of the levers forward and downward, and thereby maintains the pivot of the thill or coupling IOO rability, and that it is readily and quickly manipulated to enable it to be arranged in the positions illustrated in Figs. l and 5. It will also be apparent that it will enable poles and thills to be readily changed and substituted for each other and that there are no loose parts of the coupling which become separated during the operation of coupling and uncoupling.

That is claimed is- 1. A device of the class described comprising an axle-clip having open bearings, a coupling-iron having a pivot arranged in the bearings, a pair of levers f ulcru med between their ends on the axle-clip in rear of the bearings and having upper hook-shaped arms and lower depending arms extending below the bearings, the upper hook-shaped arms engaging the pivot and retaining the same in the bearings, and a spring connected with the lower arms of the levers and with the axleclip, and located beneath the latter, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A device of the class described connprisL ing an axle-clip having open bearings, a couplin g-iron having a pivot arrangedin the bearings, a pair of levers fulcrumed on the axleclip and provided with upper hooks for engaging the pivot and having depending arms, studs extending from the depending arms, a spring having coils disposed on the studs, and means for connecting the spring with the axleclip, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising an axle-clip having open bearings and provided with a rearwardly-extending clip-plate provided with recesses at its upper face, a coupling-iron having a pivot arranged in the open bearings, a pair of levers fulcrumed on the axle-cli p and engaging the pivot to retain the same in the bearings, said levers having arms depending below the axle, a spring counected with the depending arms of the levers, and a yoke loosely connected with the spring and detachably engaging the extended portion of the clip plate, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising an axle-clip having forwardly-projecting ears provided with open bearings, a couplingiron having a pivot arranged in the bearings, a pair of levers fulcrumed ou the exterior of the ears in rear of the bearings and provided with upper hooks and depending arms, studs extending from the depending arms, a spring provided with coils arranged on the studs, said spring having its terminals extended bevond the coils and secured to the levers, and a yoke connected with the spring and adapted to engage the clip-plate of the axle-cli p, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROSS W. HORN.

W'itnessesi S. C. HORN, D. K. BLYsToN. 

